Saved From Success 5-Day DevotionalSample

A bad reputation has a ruthless way of catching up to you. And it doesn’t matter if you have a great family, if you are in good health, or if you are flush with cash and even have great friends knocking down your door; if you have a poor reputation, eventually everything will crumble.

But what happens when what God calls good, culture calls bad? What if living well is viewed as living wrong? As you probably have noticed, we live in a time when the Bible’s teachings of good character have are considered offensive, bigoted, and even close-minded. But this shouldn’t be a surprise. Jesus warned us about these times in Matthew 10:21–28. . . .

Jesus was saying that maintaining a good reputation with Him will cost you. A cost so high that the offense to others will even surpass natural affection between siblings and parents. A cost so high that honoring what Jesus honors will cause people to persecute you, hate you, and possibly even kill you. A telling perspective for today’s megachurch pastors who are seemingly avoiding such persecution while gaining popularity in the public square. Nevertheless, Jesus’ instruction is not to be quiet. His instruction is to be wise, to speak the full truth, to live loud, to love people to the point of confusion, and to not fear the world’s perception of your godly character.

A bad reputation with the world will cost your popularity. A bad reputation with God will cost your eternity. The Lord wants us to aim for respect and integrity in every relationship. However, He never wants us to compromise His Word in the process. Reputation for the Christian is a balancing act of faith. We must be in the world but not of it. We must honor others but not more than we honor Him.

So, how do you achieve fame?

By promoting yourself, pleasing others, and increasing your influence.

How do you achieve a good reputation?

By humbling yourself, pleasing God, and developing good character.

The choice is yours.